Unruly Archives. Art and its Paper Trails
International experts will gather for a symposium to be held on the occasion of the opening of the VALIE EXPORT Center Linz at the Tabakfabrik on November 10, 2017 from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Titled “Unruly Archives. Art and its Paper Trails“, it is going to revolve around the documents and remnants of artistic and curatorial practice which have been taken in by archives and special collections. Their characterisation as ‘unruly’ alludes to the notion of “savage thought”, which French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss famously contrasted with modern scientific thought. Not by chance does artistic practice serve as one of Lévi-Strauss’ main examples of an area in which this other mode of scientific thought is at work. As far as the archive is concerned, ‘unruly’ marks the difference to governmental archives, which manifests itself in the type and nature of the preserved materials as well as the way in which they have been ordered. Experts from art history and media studies as well as the fields of exhibiting, collecting and archiving are going to discuss how the creative processes of artistic and curatorial activity are reflected or even carried over into the materials and structures of such archives and how these can be rendered visible in indexing, researching, and presenting material from such holdings.

Reisinger was born in Kanjiža, Serbia, into a family of painters and decorators active in Austria-Hungary and the Balkans. Most family members died in the Holocaust, including his father. As a teenager, he became active in the Partisan Pioneer Brigade and, with his mother and stepfather, immigrated to Israel in 1949. Reisinger initially lived in a transit camp and then worked as a house painter in order to earn money from almost any source. In 1950 at age 16, he was accepted as a student—its youngest up to the time—at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, there to 1954.
During mandatory service in the Israeli Air Force from 1954, he was the art director of its books and other publications. While there, he attended a class on postage-stamp design taught by Abram Games, who became his mentor and friend. Subsequently, he traveled, studied, and worked in Europe: from 1957 in Brussels and then onto London where, 1964–66, studied stage and three-dimensional design at the Central School of Art and Design, designed posters for Britain’s Royal Mail, and worked for other clients while making intermittent visits to Israel. Then in 1966, he returned permanently to Israel and established a studio in Tel Aviv and today in Giv’atayim.

2005
For his 70th birthday, the Hungarian Government had honored Reisinger with a comprehensive one man show at the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest. The exhibition is currently traveling to other Europian countries under the patronage of the Israeli Ministry of Forign Affairs.

2003-04
Appointed member of Israel Council for Higher Education. Served on Holocaust Memorial Committee, Budapest at invitation of Prime Minister of Hungary .Created proposal for sculpture to commemorate victims of Hungarian forced-labor units.

2002
“Dan Reisinger/selected works”- book initiated, compiled and published by Tsinghua University, China – in series of ‘international great masters of graphic design.

1990-98
First one-man exhibition of Israeli designer in New York. Worked in New York as consultant to Thompson Medical .Designed symbol for Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan. Total design program for Tambour Paint Industries .Appointed honorary member of Brno Biennale Committee and Russian Academy of Design.

1980-90
Created collages for Passover Haggadah published by Rabbinical Assembly of New York .Corporate identity programs for: Teva pharmaceuticals, Delek fuel stations, Agrexco agricultural exports, Atelie 212 Belgrade, Electra, Arkia and others .Created series of award-winning calendars for Iscar Co. Taught at Haifa University and at Wizo College, Haifa. Served as adviser to Beautiful Israel Society, Bank of Israel, Tel Aviv municipality and Bezalel Academy.

1978-80
Designed aluminium-cast relief at Yad VashemHolocaust Museum, Jerusalem .Worked in Paris with master-printer Michel Casa on production of serigraph-edition of “Scrolls of Fire”.

1977-78
Created series of 53 paintings – “Scrolls of Fire” – to texts by poet Abba Kovner; works depict the spiritual and physical fight for survival of the Jewish people throughout history.

1976-77
First one-man exhibition of an Israeli designer at The Israel Museum Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

EL-AL DESTINATIONS

1971-76
Designed new El Al logo and corporate identity -received Chicago Award for design of ground equipment. Won first prize for design of all 3 army medals. First prize for Maccabiah Games poster – continued to create posters and image of Maccabiah until 2001. Taught at Bezalel Academy. Elected to membership of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) and Art Directors’ Club of New York.

1964-66
Back in England, studied 3D and stage design at Central School of Art .Designed carpets for ICI. Created mural at Furniture Research Institute, Stevenage.

1960-64
Married Annabelle and returned to Israel. Worked as art director at Tal Arieli ,Israel’s largest ad agency at the time .Designed posters for Habimah National Theatre .

1958-60
In London, studied drawing and painting at Central School of Art. Designed posters for British Post Office and other institutions. Established life-long friendship with Abram Games and other leading designers.

1957-58
Belgium. Worked freelance for Commissar General of Brussels Expo’58. Won first prize for poster of Expo International Science Pavilion. Joined design team at Israeli Pavilion.